Free & Accepted Masons

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We Are The Friendliest

"Sixty years ago a person would join a lodge by his race, religion or even his occupation.  If you were a cop, you joined Lodge #123, if of Jewish Origin, you would join Lodge #456, if you were Scandinavian, you would probably join Lodge #789.  Freemasonry was somewhat segregated.  But today, these inclinations have mostly disappeared.  It's almost like we've taken the Gavel 'to break off the rough and superfluous parts' of California Masonry to better fit our Lodges 'as living stones for that house not made with hands eternal in the heavens'.

We have no requirement that you be of a specific color; for when you kneel at the Altar, hoodwinked, you see no colors.  Nor of a specific religion, because we are all asked if we believe in a Supreme Being.  And we surely don't care what kind of job you hold; because we all start out as 'BEARERS OF BURDENS'." I should point out here that to be a Mason, you must believe in a Supreme Being.  An Atheist cannot become a Mason.

Freemasonry in California is spiritually bigger, institutionally stronger, and more up to date than ever.  Just look at Mission Lodge.  We have Italians, Jews, Filipinos, Chinese, Irishmen, Scandinavians, Greeks, Armenians, Swiss, Hawaiians, Germans, Mexicans, South Americans, Middle Easterners, Canadians, French, Scotsmen, Spaniards and more [sic].  We have Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and more [sic].  Some of us sell Insurance, some are Attorneys, some are Bankers, some are Computer Specialists, some are Travel Agents, some are Auto Mechanics while others sell Autos, some are Truck Drivers while others are Doctors still others are Nurses.  We have Contractors, Carpenters, Plumbers, Grocers and Electricians.  We even have Ship's Captains, Warehousemen, Policemen, Machinists, Corporate Executives, Bus Drivers, School Teachers and College Professors.  A lot of us, like yours truly, are retired.  But we too, are of varied professions including retired Military.  But all of us meet and greet each other on the square and on the level. There is one TOOL used in Operative Masonry that we DO NOT use in Speculative Masonry and that is the Wedge, something that comes in-between or separates.  So when you hear someone say that the Craft is in decline, correct them.  We're rapidly becoming better that ever before."

And of course we "THE MEN OF THE MISSION" are very proud of our reputation as the "FRIENDLIEST LODGE" because

'WE ARE THE FRIENDLIEST"

Walt Terrel, P.M., Mission Lodge No. 169.